Stephen Joseph DelGiudice

October 31, 1985

Attorney and instructor in clinical law at National Law Center, George Washington University; member of Takoma Park Traffic Committee and State Roads Subcommittee, and Nuclear Free Zone Study Committee; executive committee member, Hillwood Manor Community Association; holds JD from Antioch School of Law; has been director of a GWU community clinic program, legal adviser of Advocates for Older People, instructor in Institute of Law and Aging and coordinator of U.S. Attorney Litigation Internship Program. 1: As a member of Citizens for a Referendum to Unite Takoma Park, I have worked for our right to vote upon this important issue. Unification is first and ultimately a question of self-determination -- one the citizens must decide. I support unification of Takoma Park into one county. While unification into either county would be an improvement, unification into Montgomery County is the more logical goal. I would not foreclose the chance to unify the city into Prince George's County if a majority of our citizens so voted. The unfortunate truth is that unification is today much less likely than it was three years ago. The current leadership must bear some responsibility; the mayor's confrontational style has antagonized some state delegates who once supported a referendum. Last year, the Prince George's delegation voted 18 to 0 against the referendum legislation. Our right to a referendum upon unification deserves support. We cannot afford, however, to ignore other solutions to the problems caused or made worse by our bicounty status. We must work with both counties to solve our difficulties, to save our fire station, to simplify our tax system and zoning matters and to provide better education for our children. 2: Any strategy for revitalization of Takoma Park's business districts must begin with community involvement in the intitial development of use, design and implementation plans. Cooperation among developers, citizens and public officials will encourage effective use of all private and public funds, and will ensure preservation of the residential and historic character of our town. We have not always proceeded with these clearly defined goals. Unfortunately, Old Town now faces the redevelopment of a large tract of property located within Takoma Park and the District of Columbia. Our community has been excluded from initial planning discussions with the developer and our neighbors in D.C. because the current mayor has again adopted a confrontational approach. We would be best served by working with developers and our neighbors in the planning stage. We must do a better job of obtaining and making good use of all available public funds. The state of Maryland has funding programs that can greatly assist with commercial development, infrastructure repair and historic preservation. We must work with state and county officials to obtain this money, which will allow for better fiscal planning and overall development.